On the other hand, the signals coming from the Raiwind are also not encouraging because Nawaz Sharif, who was already crestfallen by his unceremonious exit from the Prime Minister’s House, was further hurt by the demeanour of his old comrade, who every now and then come up with some sort of defiance to party decisions.

The insiders in the ruling PML-N said that the dejection of former premier Nawaz Sharif was turning out into anger against Nisar Ali Khan who wanted to impose his will in the party policies and decisions.

The scathing criticism on Nisar Ali Khan by Senator Pervaiz Rashid doubting his loyalty with the party and its leadership was a clear message of Nawaz Sharif for him to mend his ways, which many in the party consider not possible.

Sources in the party said that Nawaz Sharif was finding it difficult to digest the press conference of Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan just a day before his disqualification, opening up a plethora of complaints against the party and its leadership.

And, when Nisar turned himself indifferent to Nawaz’s travel back home in a rally via GT Road instead of the motorway proposed by many party leaders including Nisar Ali Khan on security grounds the relations between the two further worsen.

Since then both sides were keeping silent but once again Nisar Ali Khan objected to the way senior vice-president of the party Senator Sardar Yaqoob Khan Nasar was elevated as acting president of the ruling PML-N to fulfil some legal and constitutional obligations.

Many in the party considered the objection raised by Nisar Ali Khan valid because the decision of his elevation was leaked to the media before the Central Working Committee meeting of the party which in a way belittled the role of top party’s body. On the other hand, majority of the party leaders objected to the way it was raised as Nisar should have taken it up with the party leadership separately instead of raising the issue in the CWC meeting, which as expected hit the television screens.

Sources close to Nawaz Sharif informed The Nation that Nisar’s move had greatly hurt the former premier who blew hot and cold against him in a meeting with close aides at Raiwind, and it was decided in that informal huddle to respond to him and it came in shape of former information minister Senator Pervaiz Rashid chat with a media channel Friday evening.

The former information minister levelled veiled accusation on Nisar Ali Khan in connection with his role in Dawn’s leak.

Sources aware of the developments taking within the party informed The Nation that the party was divided into two groups—- one wanted to tread a confrontational course and take the matter of the prime minister’s ouster to the streets and to seek amendment in the constitution, while the other wanted to resolve contentious issues with other major stakeholders in the system through reconciliation and dialogue.

The former prime minister along with the leaders with hawkish tendency wanted to take the matter in the court of general public, while Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Nisar Ali Khan are the proponents of resolving matters through negotiations.

With this stark difference in the viewpoint, it does not seem like Nisar Ali Khan will have a smooth sailing within the party and now either he would stay dormant like dissident Senator Sardar Zulfiqar Khosa from DG Khan or part ways with the PML-N.

Sources close to Nawaz Sharif said that in the given circumstances the party would not be in a position to shunt him out but they would definitely make him irrelevant by keeping him out of the consultative process within the party, like they had done in the recent past, which had forced Nisar to come out overtly against it.

Sources in the party informed The Nation that Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif was putting in his best to cool down tempers on both sides but only time would tell for how long he would succeed in his efforts.

Political observers with a keen eye on the PML-N politics said that they would not expect any major step about his future politics by Nisar Ali Khan till the party’s decision on bringing the permanent party head likely to be elected by the party’s general council on September 7.

In case the Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif became party’s head on September 7 then Nisar Ali Khan would surely remain part of the party, otherwise he would have no future in the party to which he has given his whole political life to spanning well over three decades.